


SeeD Field Exam: Instructor Edition

by SirAranIsWriting



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 03:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8354536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirAranIsWriting/pseuds/SirAranIsWriting
Summary: To regain her position of Instructor at Balamb Garden, Quistis returns to the place of her failure to banish the ghosts of her past and prove her merit, once and for all.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Samuraiter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samuraiter/gifts).



“You ever thought we'd be coming back to Dollet like this?” Selphie asked.

 

“I realize this could be considered your old stomping grounds,” said Xu, “since we've all been here before, proving ourselves. Um...except for you, Miss Fujin. You'd be here in place of Seifer. I hope that's alright?”

 

Fujin waved her hand dismissively. “ALRIGHT.”

 

Quistis smirked, as she looked back to the others from her previous idle gazing out the port-side window. Over the past year, she had begun to understand the depths of what each word out of Fujin's mouth meant. The one eyed disciplinarian had something of her own language that only a select few could understand; as far as Quistis knew, only Seifer, Raijin, and herself could comprehend all the meaning behind Fujin's Terse language.

 

So when Fujin said, “Alright,” Quistis could translate that to, “ _I understand you're trying not to say I wasn't your first pick for this mission, and that if Seifer hadn't needed to start his training over, he'd be here in my place. And I've made peace with that, so it's alright, you don't have to spare my feelings.”_

 

Quistis took a panel on the side of the wall, and pulled out a long tray, normally reserved for meals. Instead, Xu dug into her bag, and started placing some pieces for one last briefing. As she did, Quistis adjusted her glasses with a small smirk. “It's for the best, really; this is a much more appropriate team makeup for today's mission.”

 

Selphie's fingers were drumming rapidly against her thigh, her other hand clenching her skirt. “You three must have nerves of cold steel. I don't know how you're not nervous about this.”

 

Fujin reached over, and gripped Selphie's wrist, stopping her from drumming her fingers. Although, at least, she also used her fingers to pat the girl's thigh comfortingly. “RELAX.” _“Lots of people have performance jitters before they start. Just relax, and your skills will carry you.”_

 

“It's hard to relax when you're shouting.”

 

Fujin winced, and actually had a bit of a blush. “I KNOW.” _“I know.”_

 

Stifling a laugh, Quistis tapped her tray, now that Xu had finished setting up the small blocks to represent the players in this mission.

 

When Quistis and Selphie were here, last, it was to help reclaim the city state from occupying Galbadian forces, and get Dollet's forces down from off the mountain military base they had been driven off to. Though technically successful, as Dollet and Galbadian forces exchanged places and Dollet reclaimed its independence, Galbadia still maintained a presence in the area. Recently, Galbadia was finally bringing those soldiers back home, no longer breathing down Dollet's neck...or so everyone had assumed. Reports had come in that there were still people in those bases, wearing Galbadian uniforms, and they were adamantly resistant to extraction. It could be a stubborn battalion, or it could be a third party trying to spark tension. Neither was a good alternative.

 

“When we dock, we'll make our way to the bridge that leads to the mountain paths into the city. There, Xu will assess the situation again, to confirm if our initial reports were correct. If so, we'll sneak our way up the path to the Galbadian military base. Selphie and I will sneak in, and attempt to disable their watch points. Once that's done, Xu will return to Dollet to assemble the local militia and bring them back. Selphie and I will meanwhile attempt to flush out most of the occupying soldiers from the base with smoke and fire. Once they've evacuated the base, Xu and the Dollet militia will arrive to apprehend them with minimal casualties or resistance. Fujin, during the course of the operation, you'll be securing escape points for Selphie and me, in case things go wrong.”

 

Selphie grinned up at Xu. “I suppose that's why you're here. Operatives aren't usually taking to the field.”

 

“EASY.” _“Without as much martial training as field agents like the three of us, operatives like Xu are usually just easy targets for the enemy.”_

 

Xu laughed into her hand. “I suppose that means your secondary objective is to keep me safe.”

 

“See, you say that so casually!” Selphie shook her head, still grinning. “The pressure just keeps mounting, and you three aren't nervous at all!”

 

As Quistis swept the pieces back into Xu's bag, she had to smirk. Of course she was nervous. She was probably more nervous than Selphie. But she couldn't let that show, it could literally cost her. This mission was Quistis's big chance to regain her position of Instructor at Balamb Garden. It was why Xu was brought along, despite her position as communications operative. For Selphie and Fujin, this was just another mission, but for Quistis, this was a sort of SeeD Field Test, with Xu grading her. And despite their friendship, she knew Xu would be fair and impartial in her assessment.

 

So long as everything went according to plan, Quistis would once again be an Instructor by the end of the day. And even considering that plans never survived the first encounter with the enemy...well, quick thinking would definitely be worth extra credit.

 

… … …

 

“Well, they... _look_ like Galbadians...” said Selphie.

 

The four had made their way to the Galbadian military base up the mountain outside Dollet, using one of the boulders dotting the clearing as cover.

 

“HESITATED.” _“You hesitated. Obviously, you don't think these are just soldiers who refused to pull out.”_

 

“They certainly wear the uniforms well,” said Xu, “but the uniforms themselves seem pretty low quality.”

 

Selphie snapped her fingers, and pointed to Xu. “That's what I thought. Even for stubborn, blood thirsty dissenters, they don't have the top quality gear you'd expect from the Galbadian military.”

 

“They're probably an insurrectionist group,” Quistis theorized, adjusting her glasses.

 

“What, like the Forest Owls?” Selphie frowned. “But the Owls were the good guys.”

 

“The line between _good guy_ and _bad guy_ is razor thin when it comes to rebel groups,” Quistis pointed out. “Some of the reports from Dollet included rumours about a group of Dollet and Galbadian renegades whose goal is to force Galbadia's hand. By sparking tension again, they can give Galbadian the excuse to siege Dollet again, and also restrict their options to just seizing the territory, absorbing Dollet into the greater nation state.”

 

“RUMOURS...” _“But if everyone knew about them, Galbadia has deniability. That's why there's only rumours.”_

 

“I doubt Galbadia condones their actions, anyway. I suppose this means we're working for _two_ clients.” Quistis motioned for Selphie and Fujin to keep still, as she poked her head out. “What concerns me most is that thing under the tarp.”

 

Up on the wall of the base was a large...something, hidden underneath a dull brown canvas sheet.

 

“Selphie, whatever that is, we'll have to include that in our list of things to sabotage before Xu can bring the militia. Otherwise, we stick to the plan: we get in, we flush them out, Xu and the Dollet militia apprehend them. Let's move.”

 

Checking the area around the boulder, Quistis motioned for Xu to go first, who quickly sprinted for the treeline, as they made their way to the other side of the base, to a side entrance. After Xu was Selphie, while Fujin and Quistis would go last.

 

But as Fujin was halfway to the trees, Quistis checked behind herself, and her face went pale. A few yards away, one of the insurgents was walking back up to the base, presumably from taking care of “business” in the woods, given how he was adjusting his pants.

 

It definitely confirmed to Quistis these weren't soldiers, given this was NOT a routine patrol. Unfortunately, from this angle, just as she could see him, he could see the four of them. And he could see their uniforms.

 

The insurgent took his pistol, and aimed it at Quistis. “Intruders!” he yelled at the top of his voice. “SeeD!”

 

In the time the insurgent took to call a warning to the guards on the walls of the base, Quistis's whip was already in her hand, and lashing out at him, snapping at his hands. With a pained yelp, he dropped his gun. With another lash, Quistis grabbed his ankle, and, with a yank, pulled him to the ground, and dragged him closer.

 

Before the insurgent could collect his bearings, or understand how Quistis managed to grab him from that distance, Quistis delivered a solid kick to his head, causing him to bounce around inside his own helmet, dazing him, if not knocking him unconscious.

 

Quistis spared a look back up to the base, and her eyes shrank in panic. She turned back to the others. “Cover, NOW!”

 

Fujin quickly double backed, diving behind the rocks, next to Quistis. Xu grabbed Selphie, over confused protests of “Wait, what's happening,” and pulled the two of them to the ground behind the trees, just as the insurgents, after throwing off the canvas, revealed a minigun, and opened fire.

 

“Where the heck did they get one of those!?” Selphie asked over the roar of gunfire against the boulder Quistis and Fujin kept behind.

 

“It must have been from one of the gunboats we brought in during the siege!” Quistis realized, clicking her tongue in frustration. “How and when they got it and re-purposed it up here, though, I don't know!”

 

There was a clatter of stone beside them. Quistis stared, as she watched pieces of rubble clatter around the sides of the boulder.

 

“BREAKING!”

 

Though the implication was pretty clear, in the confusion of the roar of the fight, and her own panic, Quistis couldn't understand more than what Fujin said out loud. 

 

“Selphie, I think this is where we start to get nervous,” Xu admitted, keeping down near the forest floor.

 

“Quistis, Fujin, quick, get over here!” Selphie called out, lifting her hand to wave them over. Xu quickly pinned it back down.

 

“FOCUSED!”

 

“The minigun's focused on the rock!” Xu explained to Selphie. “They don't know the two of us are here, but if we move, we'll all get torn apart by gunfire!”

 

As Xu relayed that back to Selphie, Quistis kept her back against the rock, vibrating from the hail of bullets against their cover. Her mind was racing, sweat on her brow, panic on her face. She wasn't expecting the minigun. She couldn't have anticipated it. They were stopped in their tracks before they could get started! Everything was falling apart!

 

Her stomach turned as several, irreconcilable emotions came over her: shame in herself for not even thinking of an advanced defense from the enemy; worry over the safety of the others; panic as she began to realize these emotions overcame her during the Siege of Dollet; despair as she recalled her inability to reclaim control of that situation, and further despair as she remembered how that resulted in her demotions; and then a mix of guilt _and_ shame over that being FIRST on her mind, rather than the immediate threat of their imminent death.

 

No matter how much Quistis tried to calm herself, regain focus, her mind was going a mile a minute with her worries and guilt, and the more she tried to fight those feelings, the more they bubbled to the surface.

 

“ORDERS!”

 

Quistis blinked. Something clicked in her brain. She slowly looked towards Fujin. She could swear she saw concern and empathy in her one good eye.

 

“Orders,” Fujin repeated, in a curiously soft tone for her, and the situation.

 

Quistis gasped a little; in all the time she knew her, she never heard Fujin speak like this. And yet, it was just as clear as when she originally deciphered Fujin's “Terse Talk.”

 

“ _You're our squad commander. We trust you to get us out of this. I know you can do it. Your orders?”_

 

Bolstered by that vote of confidence, Quistis took another few seconds to catch her breath, and then think. “...Alright! Fujin, do you still have your Guardian Force, Pandemona?”

 

“THANKS...” _“I do. And thanks, by the way, for returning him to me, after ripping it from my mind and keeping it from me last year.”_

 

“Oh, come off it,” Quistis chided with a cheeky grin. Selphie and Xu looked at each other in confusion over Quistis's response, while she continued. “Use his winds to deflect the bullets! I'll take out that gun and gunner with one shot!”

 

Fujin nodded, and peeked from behind the rock, trying to angle her next move. As a bullet grazed past her cheek, she found her angle, and tapped into her Guardian Force.

 

Materializing next to her, out from behind the boulder, stood the great, purple wind demon, featureless, and yet somehow still glaring death towards the military base. Quistis had to wonder how Fujin never really junctioned with Pandemona before, considering what a natural fit they seemed to be.

 

In a panic, the gunner focused his attention on Pandemona, firing away at the beast. While a few cuts and scratches appeared on Pandemona's chest, the Guardian spirit seemed unaffected by the onslaught (although Fujin did wince from the assault on her focus). The Guardian spirit took a deep breath in....and then an even deeper breath out. Bullets were knocked out of the air, clattering harmlessly to the ground, albeit in droves.

 

Without the threat of being shredded by bullets the instant she showed herself, Quistis leaned out from behind the rock, looking towards the minigun. With a smirk, she adjusted her glasses...as her Laser Eye spell took effect. A mix of concussive and electric force shot from her eyes and smashed into the gun, causing the barrel to jump from its mount, before the whole thing collapsed into a broken mess, the gunner quickly abandoning the wall, diving off in fright.

 

“M...Monsters! SeeD's throwing monsters at us!” one of the insurgents screamed from inside the base. The front door was thrown open, as several insurgents started to run out, some in a panicked retreat, others taking position with their own rifles, bolstered by Pandemona starting to fade away.

 

“ALL!” _“I think that's all of them.”_

 

“Well, that just made our job easier,” Quistis quipped. “Selphie! Protect Xu! Fujin and I will subdue them!”

 

“Why wasn't this plan A?” Selphie asked, as Quistis cracked her whip, her and Fujin readying some more magic from their Guardian forces.

 

“This is going to get a little hectic,” Quistis noted. “It would've been easier to smoke them out and force them to surrender in the waiting arms of the Dollet militia. Even without that gun, there's still several waves of lower caliber bullets waiting for us. Are you ready?”

 

“GO!” _“Go ahead, captain! I'm right behind you!”_

 

Quistis smiled over her shoulder at Fujin, before the two of them spun out from behind the rocks, an Aero spell launching from Fujin's open palm, Thundaga cracking out from Quistis's finger.

 

… … …

 

Selphie playfully stuck out her tongue, blowing raspberries as the line of insurgents as the Dollet militia took them away. After getting in that little tease, she pouted, and kicked at the dirt. “I feel like I was kind of a third wheel on this mission,” she moaned.

 

“You were a vital piece to the original plan,” Quistis reassured, giving Selphie's shoulder a shake.

 

“And you're the reason I was unharmed during that whole fire fight at the end,” Xu pointed out. She gave the knot of Selphie's shoulder bandage a tug. “You're my hero.”

 

Selphie grinned, and rubbed the back of her neck. “Ah, shucks, once the plan went kaput, you were too innocent to let anything happen to ya. Just doing my job as a SeeD mercenary!”

 

Xu smiled, and gave Selphie a friendly peck on the cheek. As Selphie twisted and spun, and muttered “ah, shucks,” Xu turned back to Quistis, who was tending to Fujin's wounds from the fight.

 

“FINE...” _“I told you, I'm fine, Quistis. These are superficial wounds. Your nursing me is making me flustered.”_

 

“You took the worst of it out there,” Quistis said, a disappointed look on her face. “As squad commander, it was my failure to keep you safe.”

 

Fujin pointed to Quistis's stomach. “GUTS.” _“You got in the way of that one coming at me from behind with a bayonet. Which you took to the guts. And_ _ **I**_ _took it the worst, out there?”_

 

“Excuse me,” said Xu. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but...I think Quistis would like to know the results of her test.”

 

As Quistis stood up and adjusted her attire in a stoic, professional fashion, Fujin and Selphie looked up at Xu in surprise, then turned their attention to Quistis.

 

“Test?” Selphie parroted. “Quistis, was this another Field Exam? You're already SeeD.”

 

“All Field Exams are still regular missions,” said Quistis. “But, yes, this mission was special. It was another Field Exams, to...test me as an Instructor.”

 

Fujin's good eye went wide, before she looked away, glumly. Selphie tilted her head in confusion. “I thought you didn't like being an instructor...you seemed so much happier as a regular field operative, not dealing with all that paperwork.”

 

“Admittedly, it was good to get back on the field,” said Quistis. “But losing my position was still a bugbear from my past. I was fast tracked to the position, before, so I wanted to take the exam, now, see if I have...or ever had, the stuff.” She smiled reassuringly. “I know myself better than anyone; I wasn't ready, the first time I was made an instructor. And if I'm not ready now, I never will be.”

 

Xu smiled at her friend, and took out a clipboard from her bag. Scribbling a few extra notes, she began her final assessment. “Talent is very real, and can carry you far. You and Squall are proof of that. But, as you said, nothing compares to actual experience, especially on the field. And so, considering this mission...”

 

With a proud glint in her eye, Xu glowed as she continued, “Particularly, massive improvements in Conduct and Judgment, I'm pleased to say that you are ready to take up position as an Instructor at Balamb Garden.”

 

Unable to stop herself from a toothy smile, Quistis rocked back on her heels, glowing with delight. As Xu continued, saying, “I'll of course have to submit my assessment to Cid, but considering everything, he should agree with me that you're...” Selphie interrupted with an exuberant cheer.

 

“Quistis! Congratulations! This is incredible!” Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she motioned for the three of them to get going. “Come on! Let's get back to the Garden, everybody's got to know!”

 

Xu chuckled, as she walked off to follow Selphie. “The Trepies will quintuple in membership with this news, I'm sure.”

 

As the two returned to the boat at the dock, Quistis stayed put, as did Fujin. The newly appointed instructor looked to the disciplinarian, and noticed she was still looking away, morose. “...Fujin? What's wrong?”

 

“...DEMOTED.” _“I'm the reason you were demoted the first time around. Before you say it, I know you'd blame your own inexperience, losing control of your emotions, but Seifer, Raijin, and I put added pressure on the staff to strip you of your position, out of spite for the dressing down you gave him.”_

 

“Ah, that was how it went down,” Quistis noted with a stoic nod. She softened her expression, giving Fujin a reassuring smile. “I forgive you, of course. It was a shame to lose my position, but I understood. Politics, or no, I just wasn't ready to be an Instructor. Trepies aside, I didn't command much respect from the students. In fact, the Trepies offered more infatuation than respect.”

 

“NOW?” _“And now? There were some biases in this mission that would keep you in your comfort zone.”_

 

“It's true, having Selphie and Xu on this mission, and with Xu handling my assessment, it could've influenced my performance. But so would coming back to the place of my humiliation, with a squad mate who was responsible for my demotion.”

 

“...OH...” _“Oh...”_

 

“I think that might be why Xu gave me high marks. You were my most valuable teammate, out there,” Quistis reassured. “I'll have you to thank if Cid approves my becoming Instructor.”

 

Fujin didn't respond. After a second to process that, she just tucked her head into her chest, and blushed, flustered.

 

Quistis considered Fujin, before a cool smile played on her lips. “In fact, before Selphie's inevitable party...”

 

Fujin nodded, rolling her good eye. “SHANGHAIED...” _“No doubt I'd be shanghaied to set up balloons for it, or something.”_

 

Quistis chuckled. “Indeed. But, before that...would you care to join me, for a bit of celebratory dinner? Just the two of us?”

 

Fujin's blush now enveloped her face, staring wide-eyed at Quistis. “... ...WHAT?” _“W-w-w-w-what?”_

 

“This test was for me to put the past behind me,” Quistis explained. “That includes the failure of my demotion, but that also includes whatever animosity might be between us. I'd like for this fresh start to include us being friends. If you'd want to accept my invitation, of course.”

 

Fujin pumped her fists. “YES!”

 

Quistis chuckled; that didn't need any translating. She reached out her hand to take one of Fujin's, and gave it a shake. A thought came to her. Recalling Xu's friendly kiss to Selphie's cheek, earlier, Quistis pulled herself in to give Fujin a similar kiss to her cheek.

 

Nervously, Quistis held that peck for a second too long, before awkwardly pulling away. Both women looked at each other, completely pink in the face. “I...I'm sorry, was that...too forward?” Quistis asked.

 

Fujin stared at Quistis for a moment, before a rare, small, nervous smile spread on her lips, against which she pressed a finger. “Here...” _“A kiss_ here _would've been forward. Of course, now that you have permission, here isn't off limits...”_

 

Still blushing from ear to ear, Quistis smiled, and pulled herself in.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Femslash Exchange, 2016. My sincere hope that everyone enjoyed their time on this event, and that my gift is a worthy peer!


End file.
